This background is presented to give a brief description of the general context of the invention.
Plasma gasification reactors (sometimes referred to as PGRs) are known and used for treatment of any of a wide range of materials including, for example, scrap metal, hazardous waste, other municipal or industrial waste and landfill material to derive useful material, e.g., metals, or to vitrify undesirable waste for easier disposition. Interest in such applications continues. (In the present description “plasma gasification reactor” and “PGR” are intended to refer to reactors of the same general type whether applied for gasification or vitrification, or both.)
Along with the above-mentioned uses, PGRs are also adaptable for fuel reforming or generating gasified reaction products that have applicability as fuels, with or without subsequent treatment.
PGRs and their various uses are described, for example, in Industrial Plasma Torch Systems, Westinghouse Plasma Corporation, Descriptive Bulletin 27-501, published in or by 2005; a paper by Dighe in Proceedings of NAWTEC16, May 19-21, 2008, (Extended Abstract #NAWTEC16-1938) entitled “Plasma Gasification: A Proven Technology”; a paper of Willerton, Proceedings of the 27th Annual International Conference on Thermal Treatment Technologies, May 12-16, 2008, sponsored by Air & Waste Management Association entitled “Plasma Gasification—Proven and Environmentally Responsible” (2008); a U.S. patent application of Dighe et al., 2008/0299019, published Dec. 4, 2008, entitled “System and Process for Upgrading Heavy Hydrocarbons”; a U.S. patent application of Dighe et al., Ser. No. 12/157,751, filed Jun. 14, 2008, entitled “System and Process for Reduction of Greenhouse Gas and Conversion of Biomass”, all of said documents being incorporated by reference herein for their descriptions of PGRs and their uses.